--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
@@ -278,18 +278,28 @@ var BrowserApp = {
     event.initEvent("UIReady", true, false);
     window.dispatchEvent(event);
 
     let ss = Cc["@mozilla.org/browser/sessionstore;1"].getService(Ci.nsISessionStore);
     if (ss.shouldRestore()) {
       this.restoreSession(false, null);
     }
 
-    if (updated)
-      this.onAppUpdated();
+    if (updated) {
+        // creating the form history and passwords databases can be expensive
+        // delay it until after the first page has loaded
+        let browser = BrowserApp.selectedTab.browser;
+        let updatedFun = function updatedFun() {
+            browser.removeEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", updatedFun, false);
+            // initialize the form history and passwords databases on upgrades
+            Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "FormHistory:Init", "");
+            Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "Passwords:Init", "");
+        }
+        browser.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", updatedFun, false);
+    }
 
     // notify java that gecko has loaded
     sendMessageToJava({
       gecko: {
         type: "Gecko:Ready"
       }
     });
 
@@ -482,22 +492,16 @@ var BrowserApp = {
            contentDisposition = "";
            type = "";
         }
         ContentAreaUtils.internalSave(aTarget.currentURI.spec, null, null, contentDisposition, type, false, "SaveImageTitle", null,
                                       aTarget.ownerDocument.documentURIObject, aTarget.ownerDocument, true, null);
       });
   },
 
-  onAppUpdated: function() {
-    // initialize the form history and passwords databases on upgrades
-    Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "FormHistory:Init", "");
-    Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "Passwords:Init", "");
-  },
-
   shutdown: function shutdown() {
     NativeWindow.uninit();
     SelectionHandler.uninit();
     LightWeightThemeWebInstaller.uninit();
     FormAssistant.uninit();
     FindHelper.uninit();
     OfflineApps.uninit();
     IndexedDB.uninit();